Pain in the feet in children

Leg Pains in children occur for many reasons and in many different places. So you will need to talk with the child and find out exactly where the source of pain.

Causes of pain in the legs in children:

1. The most common cause of pain in the legs in children is the so – called children’s age. During this period there are several features of the structure of bone, muscle, ligament, blood vessels, provide nutrition, and growth and high metabolism. A child before puberty increases the length of his body mainly due to the growth of the feet, and most rapidly growing of the foot and lower leg. It is in such places where there is a rapid growth and differentiation of tissue, it is necessary to provide abundant blood flow. Vessels that nourish the bone, muscle, broad, capable intensively to supply the growing tissue with blood, but they contain little elastic fibers, the number of which increases only to 7-10 years. Hence, the blood circulation in them is improved by physical activity of the child, when there is a muscle, stimulating growth and development of bones. At night during sleep, the tone of the arterial and venous vessels is reduced, the intensity of blood flow in the fast-growing parts of the body is reduced, and there is pain. Many parents know that it is worth to stroke it, massaging the leg of the child, as the pain recedes, and the child falls asleep. And it happens by increasing blood flow to the muscles of the legs, feet.

2. The second cause of leg pain may be the presence of orthopedic pathology, such as incorrect posture, scoliosis, flat feet, at which the center of gravity shifts, and the greatest pressure of the body on a section of the leg (foot, shank, thigh or hip). The pain in legs and gait disturbance may lead to congenital pathology of the hip joints, as well as the so-called osteochondropathy: Perthes disease – avascular necrosis of the femoral head, the disease Stud-Schlatter disease – osteochondropathy of tibial tuberosity.

3. Leg pain in children appear in the presence of chronic foci of infection in the nose and throat – tonsillitis, adenoiditis, multiple caries. Therefore it is important to sanitize the oral cavity, visiting the dentist, ENT doctor. Leg pain with involvement of the joints may be the first sign of rheumatism, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It may accompany endocrine disorders: diabetes mellitus, diseases of the adrenal glands, parathyroid glands, resulting in a loss of bone tissue mineralization. It must be remembered that a number of blood diseases begins with pain in the feet, arthritis of the knee and ankle joints. And in any case not to refuse the advice of a specialist if the pain in the legs accompanied with a positive Mantoux test (test for tuberculous infection is children annually).

4. Very often, especially in recent times, pain in the legs, so-called ostalgie, can occur in children with neurocirculatory dystonia of hypotonic type, especially at night. They are occasionally accompanied by feeling of discomfort in the heart area, stomach, sensation of shortage of air, headache, sleep disturbance.

5. Leg pain in children may be a manifestation of congenital abnormalities of the heart and blood vessels. In some congenital defects of the aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta is decreased blood flow in the lower extremities, resulting in the child during walking may stumble and fall and tell my mother that his legs are tired, sore and just not cooperating. If such children to compare the pulse of the hands and feet, then the legs, it will be weak to the lesions or absent.

6. In continuation on the causes of leg pain should indicate the innate inferiority of connective tissue, which is part of the valvular apparatus of the heart, veins, ligaments. In children with this anomaly of the connective tissue may be the joint hypermobility, flat feet, scoliosis, posture disorder, nephroptosis (drooping of the kidney), varicose veins.

7. Heel pain, for example, can be caused by stretching of the Achilles tendon. Pain in the middle part of the foot, under her middle, is often the result of disease of the arch of the foot. The thumb pain can be caused by inflammation of the bags on the outer part of the finger. And blisters can appear anywhere, as you can see, even cursorily examined the feet of their child (if the problem lies in this, see the corresponding section of the callus, which contains additional information).

8. In children older than 3 years often have severe pain in the calf muscles. These pains are linked to insufficient intake of calcium and phosphorus in bone growth zones of bones (for example, such pain often occur in pregnant women, due to the withdrawal of calcium). In children, these pains are often associated with insufficient absorption of calcium, phosphorus and potassium in the blood (in the secondary rickets).

9. Sudden pain in one of the joints most likely indicates injury. Pain and swelling of joints of unknown origin deserve the attention of a physician.

10. Red swollen joint requires immediate attention of a physician due to the fact that perhaps this change of the joint is connected with the hit of an infection (septic arthritis) or with the beginning of severe systemic disease, primarily manifested similar symptoms (still’s disease or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis).
Septic arthritis, if left untreated, can cause irreversible damage to the joint. The disease is still, if not in time to pay attention to her, could harm the eyesight.

11. Pain in the joints, accompanied by backache, especially in the morning, or joint pain in a child, the feeling expressed by General malaise, deserve serious attitude. Contact your doctor because it may be symptoms of still’s disease or even leukemia (leukemia – tumor hematopoietic tissue).

12. Joint pain all over the body with influenza or other acute respiratory disease is quite a common phenomenon forming part of the common symptoms of the flu. Paracetamol will help to relieve the pain, and in a few days it goes away.

13. In older children and adolescents is a disease of Slatter. She shows her sharp pain in the front of the knee where the patella tendon attaches to the tibia (Shin bone). This place gets painful sensitivity. The cause of the disease with accuracy is not installed. The disease is particularly common among children involved in sports, and may simply be a result of trauma.

14. The reason for prihramyvaya obvious child, if he just hurt his leg. Sometimes, especially in young children, there is no such confidence, and then to the lameness should be treated seriously.
The cause of lameness can also become too tight shoes or a nail sticking out of the sole, inflammation in the toe or ingrown nails, inflammation or injury of the ankle or knee; attention deserves any ill or reddened. Gently bend and straighten the hip, knee and ankle joints; see whether it’s pain. Inspect the groin to check for tumors and inflamed lymph nodes.

15. Sometimes the cause of lameness become stress and strong emotions. Please note, if your child is very upset or excited.
If you can’t find any obvious reason, put the baby to bed. If the next day it will continue to limp for no apparent reason, then consult your doctor.

16. Injury or trauma – the most common causes of lameness; active older children often stretching muscles and ligaments that heal without outside interference after a while.

Contact your doctor if:– you suspect a fracture or serious injury;
– your child is limping for no apparent reason in a few days;
– ankle, knee or hip joints are inflamed and reddened.

Finally – a tip for parents: listen to your child, watch him and during daytime wakefulness and during sleep. Watch out for his shoes. Avoid prolonged stay in sneakers. Try to keep the shoes were size, with a solid sole. Don’t limit your child in motion, remember that it strengthens the muscles and bone growth. Take care of nutrition, include in the diet of more vegetables, fruits, dairy products, fish, i.e. what is necessary for normal growth and development of your children.

In each case, the mother needs to examine your child, paying attention not only on the feet, but also on his health, to measure body temperature, to assess the appetite, remember when there was a pain in the legs, maybe after suffering colds or sore throats, and can be, amid the frustration of a chair or after injury. All this is necessary to inform the doctor in the timely diagnosis of the disease and try to complete assigned laboratory studies (General analysis of blood, urine, biochemical blood analysis, EKG, etc. diagnostic measures).